Business Profile: Robert Koenitzer
Name and Firm: Robert S. "Bob" Koenitzer is sole proprietor of Sculpt Alaska. "Sculpting started as a hobby for me and is now turning into a business," Koenitzer said. He has produced paddles and masks in wood, as well as silver bracelets. In the last couple of years, he turned to stone work.

Firm is more than beach freight
Paul Weltzin has carved out such a life of challenge and adventure on the high seas that he considers himself a citizen of the Pacific as well as a resident of Juneau. "A lot of people that operate remote depend on people like me," Weltzin said.

On The Move
Speedy Glass recently announced that Keith Imel has accepted the management position at the Speedy Glass branch in Juneau.

Time goes forward
It seems that the C.A.V.E. group doesn't realize that time goes forward and not backward. South Franklin cannot revert to the sawmill, the Juneau Cold Storage, the Coca-Cola plant, the Metcalfe Sheet Metal Shop, the Warner's Machine Shop, the City Cafe being open 24 hours a day, the many beer parlors or the red lights hanging on the cabin porches.

Eaglecrest extras
This past spring break, our family was able to take advantage of the slopes of Eaglecrest. Besides the great weather, the experience was made truly fantastic by the great people who work there. I'm not a great skier by any means (in fact, my 9-year-old daughter, Callie, says she's better than me), but we had a blast.

Time to get rid of daylight-saving time
Please support House Bill 409 by encouraging the Labor and Commerce Committee to pass this bill out of committee and onto the house floor. The committee will review this bill on March 27.

Instrumental assistance from guv, airline, paper
The Juneau Symphony was very much concerned about, and involved in, the recent problems that local and visiting musicians have had trying to carry musical instruments on board Alaska Airlines' flights. On behalf of the symphony, I want to commend the Juneau Empire for its balanced story in last Friday's paper on the resolution of the problem.

Rules are rules
The rules set down by our government apply to people of all colors, races and ethnic backgrounds. And yes, they do apply to people who are nice and who have kids in school with yours.

Sealaska still needs audit
This is a response to a letter from Chris McNeil in the March 29 Empire. I knew his response would not support a shareholder-supported external audit of Sealaska Corp. I am married to a Sealaska shareholder and have children who are descendant of shareholders, notwithstanding, the message is more important than the messenger.

Promote tolerance
It greatly disturbs me that on Easter Sunday flyers were distributed promoting racial discrimination toward people of color

Marine Park compromise
For what it's worth, I've been trying to come up with a compromise situation to accommodate both esthetics and practicality in the Marine Park plan. If the city acquired the Sealaska lot next to the library, the buses could stage against that side of the library, out of sight, yet close and practical.

Port dues are back on table
The Juneau Assembly revived the concept of port dues Monday, but still is discussing how cruise ships might contribute to waterfront projects and maintenance this year. Last year, cruise ships paid 23 cents a net ton to use city port facilities. Those tonnage fees - also called port dues - generated $1.7 million in revenue, but expired Jan. 1. They had been in place for about a decade.

School staff OKs reduced insurance coverage
Increased insurance costs have led the Juneau School District's support staff to accept diminished coverage for the next year.
Last month the Juneau School Board learned insurance costs for support staff were going to increase dramatically starting April 1 due to higher-than-expected claims over the past year. In response, the board increased the district's monthly insurance contributions from $496 to $550 per employee per month to cover part - but not all - of the difference.

City sued to open cruise line meetings
Juneau resident Dennis Harris is going to court to force city meetings with the cruise industry to be open to the public.
Harris filed a lawsuit against the city in Juneau Superior Court on Tuesday, asking that meetings between city officials and representatives from the North West CruiseShip Association be held in Juneau "at a time and place that is accessible to the public."

Assembly speaks out against state's proposed sales tax
The Juneau Assembly on Monday expressed opposition to the 3 percent state sales tax proposed by the state House of Representatives in its attempt to develop a long-range fiscal plan.
Juneau has a 5 percent sales tax that funds general operations, roads and other public works projects. Of that, 1 percent is permanent while voters regularly have to renew discretionary 3 percent and 1 percent sales taxes, City Finance Director Craig Duncan said.

Tenakee council may face a recall
A few residents of Tenakee Springs want to recall members of the town's city council in the wake of its recent decision to get rid of the Village Public Safety Officer Program.
Frank Davis and Dick Zagars, residents of the 104-person town about 50 miles southwest of Juneau, are heading up the effort to recall some if not all of the members of the six-person council.

Principal finalists meet Harborview community
Three finalists to take over as principal of Harborview Elementary School met with the school community this week for the final round of discussions and interviews.Educators Kathi Yanamura of Juneau, Joseph Krause of Flint, Mich., and Patricia Newman of Bakersfield, Calif., are seeking their first principal position. They attended a reception Monday and participated in public interviews on Tuesday.

New director at the Glory Hole brings on-the-street experience
Lance Young, the new director of the Glory Hole homeless shelter and dining hall downtown, says he will draw on his own experience to help others. "I've been through the drugs and alcohol, and I understand where people are at emotionally," said Young, who added he has been homeless several times. "At any moment when someone reaches out their hand for help, that's when miracles happen. I was totally changed."

Juneau Assembly starts city manager search
Juneau Mayor Sally Smith named a five-member committee Monday to begin the search for a new city manager.
"The first thing is to pull all the wish lists of qualifications and attributes of a city manager," she said. "We'll have those from city staff and Assembly members. The first thing is going to be to sift."

Pet Of The Week
Mordecai is a very sweet 6-month-old black and brown tiger kitty. He gets along well with children, other cats and probably dogs.

Elder housing group begins project
A new elder housing program has begun after months of planning by the Tlingit and Haida Indians of the City and Borough of Juneau. Based on a recent comprehensive survey of Juneau elders, the local council extensively discussed the needs of its senior citizens.

Thank you
...for your support; .. for all the help; ... for the support; ...for the help; ... for the support.;

Green House follows a consumer-oriented model
The Juneau Alliance for Mental Health Inc. recently re-named its drop-in facility, Green Doors. The new name, Green House, was adopted when the facility incorporated as a separate, non-profit corporation.
Green House is part of a new wave in mental health treatment, a consumer-directed surge that is washing up a treasure of member-run clubhouses modeled on The Fountain House model in New York City.

Photo: Math winners
The Dzantik'i Heeni Middle School MATHCOUNTS team of, from left, Ben Grammel, Nicky Miller, Logan Spencer, Robbie Sylvester and Coach Mary Borthwick, placed first in the state MATHCOUNTS competition held last month in Anchorage.

Word Of Mouth
Word of Mouth gives readers a forum to express opinions on a variety of issues by telephone. Calls must be limited to one minute. We reserve the right to edit calls for clarity, length and libel.

Word Of Mouth
Word of Mouth gives readers a forum to express opinions on a variety of issues by telephone. Call 586-4636 and press 8255 to leave a message. Be sure to leave your name and telephone number.

My Turn: Heliport will change Thane forever
Thane opposes any headlong rush to locate a satellite heliport in our neighborhood. A survey of Thane residents reveals strong, widespread opposition to a heliport at either Dupont or Sheep Creek. Further, Era has told us it is not in a rush, and wants all necessary information before deciding about these options.

State sales tax hurts municipal autonomy
On Monday night the Juneau Assembly joined other Southeast Alaska communities in taking a firm position against the proposed 3 percent statewide sales tax. The sales tax measure was proposed by House Finance Committee to help close the state's fiscal gap by $200 million.

Juneau soccer team Spokane bound
Late Tuesday afternoon, the Juneau-Douglas High School boys soccer team was enjoying just its third practice on the Adair-Kennedy Memorial Park football field.

It's HoopTime for local youth basketball players
All HoopTime Basketball coach Edd Webb wants from his young basketball players is respect.
That shouldn't be asking too much. Webb stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 300 pounds. The ex-Army scout and holder of a black belt in tae kwon do also has a menacing goatee, an earring and a hairless melon.

Tornados third in Petersburg tourney
Alex Martin and Garrett Cox won the titles in their respective weight classes to lead the Juneau Tornados Wrestling Club to a third-place finish in a wrestling tournament in Petersburg on March 23.
The Petersburg Arena Wrestling Club won the tournament, followed by Wrangell in second and Juneau in third place with just six wrestlers. Team scores were not available.

House considers benchmark for oil spill cleanup technology
A provision that environmental groups say will roll back regulations on preventing and cleaning up oil spills hinges on the definition of the word "best." The word refers to the "best available technology" that oil-transporting companies are required to use in dealing with spills.

Alaska crude oil prices hit a six-month high
ANCHORAGE - Unrest in the Middle East helped to push the price of Alaska North Slope crude oil to a six-month high Monday.
State officials say the increase could help trim about $60 million from the state budget gap, which in December was estimated at $865 million for the fiscal year that ends June 30.

State Briefs
Alaska Air plans flights to Long Beach, Calif.; New Fish Board members named by Gov. Knowles; Bill lets commissioner overrule Fish Board in some cases

Bill to cut social services headed to Senate floor
The Senate was poised to take up a bill today that makes automatic cuts in some social service programs when funding isn't available.Senate Bill 182 would reduce the amount of benefits paid to Alaskans over a 12-month period when the Legislature does not fully fund certain formula programs.

Poll: Murkowski leads Ulmer 51-36
U.S. Sen. Frank Murkowski leads Lt. Gov. Fran Ulmer 51-36 in the race for governor, according to a poll released today by the Republican Party of Alaska. Murkowski, a Republican who has been the state's junior senator for 22 years, also has a higher "favorable" rating from the electorate than Ulmer, according to the poll, which is the first scientific survey released to the public during the campaign.

Candidates talk fish at first debate
KODIAK - If it had to do with fish, it was fair game for debate at the first gubernatorial candidate forum of the political season.
Five Alaskans who want to be governor sounded off on topics from subsistence to farmed fish to ways to aid the state's ailing fishing industry at the forum sponsored by United Fishermen of Alaska and the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce.

Informed consent bill sparks debate
The Senate Finance Committee approved a bill this morning that would require doctors to give women information on fetal development and on health risks reportedly associated with abortion before terminating pregnancies.The "informed-consent" bill was attacked by pro-choice advocates as an attempt to intimidate women out of exercising their constitutional right to abortion.

Young searched at Anchorage airport
ANCHORAGE - Workers at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport selected Alaska U.S. Rep. Don Young to be searched before he boarded a flight to Fairbanks.
"There I was with my boots off and my belt buckle off," Young said, demonstrating his spread-eagle stance Tuesday to members of the Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce.